Are Funyuns Pork Rinds? Examining the Crunchy Snack’s True Nature

With their signature ring shape and zesty onion flavor, Funyuns have been a beloved snack staple for over 50 years. But what exactly are these addictive crispy treats made of? Many people assume Funyuns must be some form of pork rind or chicharron due to their similarity in taste and texture. However, this is a common misconception. Funyuns and pork rinds share some characteristics, but have distinct differences in ingredients and production methods.

The Origins of Funyuns

First let’s start with some background. Funyuns were invented in 1969 by Frito-Lay employee George Bigner. The origin of Funyuns is that Bigner created an extruded corn snack product meant to mimic the texture and flavor of fried onion rings, but in crispy bite-sized form.

Bigner invented a special process to extrude masa dough made from cornmeal into the distinctive ring shape. Onion and other seasoning is then added to the rings to complete the snack Funyuns were born out of this innovative extrusion and seasoning technique developed by Bigner.

How Funyuns Are Made

The primary ingredients in Funyuns are:

• Cornmeal
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Onion powder
• Sugar
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Artificial flavors

During production, a dough made from cornmeal and water is fed into a shaping machine that forms the small rings. The rings are then fried in vegetable oil, making them crispy. Finally, a seasoning blend with onion and spices is tossed with the fried rings to add flavor.

So Funyuns start crunchy and crispy from the extrusion and frying process, not from puffing pig skin like pork rinds. The taste comes primarily from onion powder and other artificial flavors, not actual onions.

The Composition and Production of Pork Rinds

In contrast to the corn-based Funyuns, pork rinds have a very different main ingredient – pig skin. Here’s an overview:

• Pork rinds are made from the dried, fried skin of a pig.

• Pork skin is boiled to soften it, then sliced into pieces.

• The slices of skin are dried slowly at low heat until very dry and brittle.

• Once hardened and dried, the pork skins are fried in hot oil or lard at around 400°F.

• The intense heat makes the pork skins puff up and become flaky and crispy.

• Flavorings like salt, spices and seasoning are then added.

So while Funyuns use an extruded cornmeal base, pork rinds achieve their crispiness through actual frying and puffing of pig skin, which is an entirely different process.

Nutrition Profile Comparison

Looking at the nutrition facts sheds further light on the differences between Funyuns and pork rinds:

• Funyuns – Mostly carbohydrates from cornmeal. High in carbohydrates and low in protein and fat. Around 13g carbs, 2g protein and 7g fat per serving.

• Pork rinds – Almost zero net carbs. Very high in fat and moderate protein due to the fried pig skin. Around 0g carbs, 5g protein and 13g fat per serving.

The high fat and negligible carbs of pork rinds make them suitable for low-carb diets like keto. Funyuns don’t fit those needs.

Flavor and Texture

While Funyuns and pork rinds both offer satisfying crunch and bold flavor, they provide very different sensory experiences:

• Funyuns – Hard, crispy texture. Strong onion and spice taste from artificial flavors.

• Pork rinds – Light, airy crunch. Savory and salty flavor from the fried pork skin itself.

So in terms of flavor and mouthfeel, these snacks have their own unique characteristics. Funyuns can mimic some qualities of pork rinds, but the results are not identical.

Fried Pork Skins Used in Some Snacks

Some snack products do actually use fried pork skins in place of cornmeal to create puffy chips with a similar style to Funyuns. Examples include:

• Pork Clouds – Thrilled with pork skins, hint of smoke flavor
• Bacon Rings – Formed from bacon rinds, smoky bacon taste
• Lowrey’s Bacon Curls – Curly shape made with fried bacon rinds

So there are pork rind-based snacks designed to imitate the Funyuns experience. But Funyuns themselves are corn-based, not derived from pork.

The Takeaway

While Funyuns and pork rinds may appear comparable at first glance, when examining their ingredients, nutrition, production methods and textures, distinct differences emerge. Funyuns achieve their signature crispy rings through an extruded cornmeal process. Pork rinds use actual pig skin that puffs when fried.

Funyuns mimic some qualities of pork rinds using artificial onion flavor in an extruded corn snack. But their creation is completely independent from pork rinds. So no, Funyuns are not a form of pork rind. They have some similarities, but at the end of the day, Funyuns march to the beat of their own fried cornmeal drum.